TLDR
- Conor McGregor suffered a knee injury 69 seconds into his UFC 329 fight with Max Holloway in Las Vegas
- McGregor attempted a flying kick to start the fight but landed awkwardly and fell to the mat three times
- The injury ended McGregor’s first fight in over five years after breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021
- Max Holloway won by first-round TKO and called for a rematch once McGregor recovers
- This was the second fight between the two, with McGregor winning their first meeting in 2013
Sources: aljazeera.com | mmafighting.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the UFC ended in disaster Saturday night when he suffered a knee injury just 69 seconds into his fight with Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The former two-division champion had not fought in over five years.
McGregor attempted a flying kick to start the opening round but landed awkwardly and immediately appeared to be in trouble. He tried to continue fighting but fell to the mat three times within the first minute of the bout.
Referee Mike Beltran stopped the welterweight contest after McGregor signaled he could not continue. The 37-year-old Irishman grimaced in pain and could not stand without his knee giving way, even without any contact from Holloway.
McGregor’s Long Road Back
McGregor last competed in July 2021 when he broke his leg during a fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. That injury required extensive recovery time and kept him out of action for years.
The fighter was scheduled to return in June 2024 to face Michael Chandler, but that bout was cancelled after McGregor broke a toe in training. He then faced legal and administrative issues that further delayed his comeback.
"We got to run it back one more time."@BlessedMMA believes business is unfinished with Conor McGregor. pic.twitter.com/iamadPKtlS
— UFC (@ufc) July 12, 2026
In October 2025, McGregor accepted an 18-month ban for whereabouts failures after missing three attempts by Combat Sports Anti-Doping officials to collect samples from him in 2024. The ban was backdated and expired in March 2026.
A jury in an Irish civil court also found him liable for the rape of Nikita Hand in 2018 during this period away from competition.
Holloway Calls for Rematch
Holloway, a former featherweight champion, expressed interest in fighting McGregor again once he recovers from the injury. “It is what it is, I’m going to sit down with the UFC,” Holloway said after the fight.
“There was so much hype for that right there. We’ve got to run it back one more time. One more time for the boys,” he added.
Saturday’s bout was the second meeting between the two fighters. McGregor won their first encounter by unanimous decision back in August 2013, though he also suffered a knee injury during that fight but managed to continue.
Paddy Pimblett Puts Benoit Saint Denis to Sleep in Just 52 Seconds at UFC 329
McGregor entered the arena Saturday sporting his old-school mohawk hairstyle that he had not worn since his UFC debut in 2013. He walked out to his iconic mashup of “Foggy Dew” by Sinead O’Connor and “Hypnotize” by the Notorious B.I.G.
The fight was billed as one of the most highly anticipated events in UFC history according to UFC president Dana White. McGregor chose not to be interviewed in the cage after the injury but walked out of the arena under his own power.
In the co-main event at T-Mobile Arena, British fighter Paddy Pimblett needed less than a minute to secure victory over Frenchman Benoit Saint-Denis. Pimblett won by submission with a d’arce choke just 52 seconds into their lightweight bout.
The extent of McGregor’s knee injury was not known immediately after the fight. His record now stands at 22 wins and 7 losses overall, with a 10-5 record in UFC competition.
